Project

The loan has been provided to finance the construction of an extension to the North Karelia Central Hospital in Joensuu, eastern Finland, with a total floor area of 19,140 square metres. The growing number of patients is putting pressure on the health care infrastructure in the region of North Karelia. The new building will allow the emergency function to move under one roof, which will facilitate more efficient use of the available resources. The total investment cost is approximately EUR 47 million. The new facilities are scheduled to be ready in March 2020.

“Siun sote - Pohjois-Karjalan sosiaali- ja terveyspalveluiden kuntayhtymä” (the joint municipal authority for North Karelian social and health care services) was established in 2017 as a joint municipal authority for medical care, social and special services in 14 member municipalities in Finland’s North Karelia region, with a total population of 170,000 people.

Fulfilment of NIB's mandate

Competitiveness:

The expansion of the hospital in Joensuu will enable the centralisation of treatment processes and improve health outcomes. The project will also help reduce health care costs in eastern parts of Finland, which is a growing concern with the ageing of Finland’s population.

Environment:

The expanded hospital’s energy consumption is estimated to increase by approximately 6,800 MWh a year and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,800 tonnes a year. The new hospital building is designed to meet the requirements of the Finnish energy performance standard.

Sustainability summary

The project is planned according to the requirements of the Finnish energy performance standards. Several technical measures related to the installation of heat recovery equipment and waste heat utilisation are planned. Waste from hospital operations is collected centrally and delivered for appropriate treatment. No soil contamination is expected within the property.